Introduction and Features

Introduction

Courtesy of ASUS

ASUS continues to optimize their hardware for the overclocking and PC gaming crowds, but they are also catering to a niche audience looking for ultra stable and durable PC components. ASUS's Sabertooth X79 motherboard is their one of their latest products to bear the TUF series label and sport customized hardware and thermal components as well as a desert camo color scheme to complete the military look. This $329 motherboard comes with a five-year warranty, digital power management system, rugged chokes, solid capacitors, and MOSFETs that have been certified through third party, military-grade testing.

Courtesy of ASUS

The Sabertooth X79 also comes with a host of other features to improve SSD caching and give users quad GPU support for CrossfireX and SLI graphics card configurations. This board also includes a unique UEFI BIOS and natively supports 2TB hard drives with 64-bit operating systems. The USB BIOS "Flashback" feature also helps new users update their motherboard BIOS without entering the BIOS. ASUS states that users can use any USB storage device with the latest BIOS, push the BIOS button located on the back I/O panel for three seconds, and the board will automatically update the BIOS using standby power. Very cool!

Courtesy of ASUS

The back I/O panel on the Sabertooth X79 is no slouch either as it gives users a healthy amount of USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and eSATA 6GB/s ports for greater performance and expandability options. They also added a small fan over the back I/O panel as part of their "TUF Thermal Armor" feature that will help cool and exhaust heat from ther motherboard out the back of the chassis. Let's move on to the rest of the Saberbooth X79's features where we will get our first out-of-the-box look at this motherboard.

﻿Thermal Armor: Total Airflow-Boosting Heat Dissipation
New generation TUF Thermal Armor kicks cooling up a notch with dual integrated Turbo Engine fans. This enhances the original TUF thermal design, helping direct heat away from MOS area components and out the case via the rear I/O section. Special heat pipes propel dissipation from critical components and make sure temps stay low across the board. The Thermal Armor also provides modders and LAN party goers an extra-cool dress up option to show off their creativity and dedication to performance.

Thermal Radar: Real Time Temp Detection and Heat Removal
The TUF Thermal Radar monitors temps in critical parts of the motherboard in real time, automatically adjusting fan speeds to make sure the system maintains high stability without overheating. It consists of multiple sensors for various components on the motherboard, giving users the ability to monitor each one individually. The Thermal Radar automatically calculates ideal fan speeds based on different parameters selected by users for each component, keeping everything cooler and longer lasting.

New DIGI+ Power Control: All-New Digital Power Control for both CPU and DRAM
ASUS X79 motherboards include New DIGI+ Power Control with three digital voltage controllers, including all-new DRAM controllers that offers ultra-precise memory tuning in addition to ultra-precise CPU voltage control. This evolution of innovative, industry-leading ASUS technology provides the best in class control for better efficiency, stability and performance.

Best in class power efficiency and stability
Two critical components work perfectly together to match digital power signal (SVID) requests from the CPU, with ultra-fast sensing and response to efficiently deliver the right level of power on demand. Accurate power reduces wasteful voltage imprecision, and provides more a stable CPU and memory setup.

8 DIMM Design. X79 Done Right
Support for up to 64GB of system memory with an 8-DIMM design on ASUS X79 motherboards provides the capacity for users to make full use of modern 64-bit software, ideal for rendering detailed images or manipulating large files without the bottlenecks of conventional storage. It also allows users to set up big RAM disks and speed up frequently accessed programs, minimizing the impact of storage transfer delays while maximizing user benefit.

TUF Components (Choke, Cap. & MOSFET; Certified by Military-standard)
Get rugged performance even in the most challenging conditions with robust TUF chokes, solid capacitors, and MOSFETs--certified through third-party, military-grade testing. TUF Chokes, also known as the “Ferrite Choke”, is a made of a compound of various types of metal instead standard iron, enables the support of up to a massive 50A of rated current, much higher than conventional component. Furthermore, the single piece packaing also elimates the emission of virbation noise, delivering superb charactoristics as well as durability under extreme conditions.

ASUS SSD Caching: 3X faster performance at a click
SSD caching from ASUS is easier than ever. At 3X faster, this feature boosts system performance by using an installed SSD with no capacity limitations as a cache for frequently accessed data. Harness a combination of SSD-like performance and response and hard drive capacity with just one click, no rebooting needed and instant activation for complete ease of use.

USB BIOS Flashback: Easy, worry-free USB BIOS Flashback
USB BIOS Flashback offers the most convenient way to flash the BIOS ever! It allows overclockers to try new BIOS versions easily, without even entering their existing BIOS or operating system. Just plug in USB storage and push the dedicated button for 3 seconds, and the BIOS is automatically flashed using standby power. Worry-free overclocking for the ultimate convenience! > Learn More

I dont know about this review.
The features like the Bios and easy update etc seem nice.
But the other boards seem to do better over all in performance?
So i dont know if the board should get Gold?
Not saying it is a bad board but maybe price comes into play here to give it a Gold Award.
I think i would be a harder marker.

Yeah I agree, with how the motherboard arena has become a "set in stone" approach thats dependant on your choice of CPU. Ex: You want a Sandy Bridge-E which means, X79. Or the Sandy Bridge / Ivy Bridge gives you more choices but performance isnt really the difference in those chipsets (ignoreing overclocking "K" series CPU's, obviously).

So with how the CPU to Motherboard Chipset has changed, and how it is now, performance from a motherboard is not really there, meaning there is no real difference.

The difference has become about the user experience. So things like features, overclocking, built in audio, expansion slots, customer support, design (how good it looks), these are things that motherboards are all about these days. (Really ever since Intel's Nahalem, and AMD's Phenom II).

I got this board back in march to be the platform for my Core i7-3930K and I am loving this board, I have this in my primary system (where I do OC, but I much prefer stability over performance, this board delivers with both).

I also did not install the optional fans (didnt need to, board runs cool in my Corsair Obsidian 800D). I was worried the PCH fan would be loud, but nope, and it has a 5 year warrenty (fan included) so should last me a long time. :)

I have bought a SABERTOOTH X79 with 16G Kit 1866(8Gx2) Patriot Viper Memory and i7-3930K.... i bring it from out side of my country. those r not available in our Bangladesh.
now i need some advice.
First of all which power supply is good for this system?.....
in our country Thermal Take is available.